Pope: undoubtedly, a world without nuclear weapons is possible and necessary
Francis sent a message to the meeting of the 86 countries that signed the UN Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Even today, “we need to remain aware of the dangers of short-sighted approaches to national and international security,” Francis wrote. Thinking about the suffering of the Hibakusha, the survivors of the atomic bombs dropped on Japan, the pope slammed the “mere possession” of such weapons as immoral, adding that the balance of terror poisons relations among peoples.
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Pope Francis issued a message on the occasion of the First Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which started today. The three-day event is taking place in Vienna (Austria).
In it, the pontiff writes that, “The Holy See has no doubt that a world free from nuclear weapons is both necessary and possible.” Such a commitment is urgent in light of the current situation.
The meeting brought together the 86 countries (Vatican included) that signed the treaty to ban atomic weapons adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2017. None of the existing nuclear powers are signatories. The papal message was read by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States
The pontiff fully backs the battle against such weapons, turning his “thoughts go to the Hibakusha, the survivors of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and to all the victims of nuclear arms testing.”
“In the current context, speaking of or advocating disarmament may seem paradoxical to many. However, we need to remain aware of the dangers of short-sighted approaches to national and international security and the risks of proliferation. As we know all too well, the price for not doing so is inevitably paid by the number of innocent lives taken and measured in terms of carnage and destruction. As a result, I emphatically renew my appeal to silence all weapons and eliminate the causes of conflicts through tireless recourse to negotiations: “Those who wage war […] forget humanity!”
“In a system of collective security, there is no place for nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. Indeed, “if we take into consideration the principal threats to peace and security with their many dimensions in this multipolar world of the twenty-first century as, for example, terrorism, asymmetrical conflicts, cybersecurity, environmental problems, poverty, not a few doubts arise regarding the inadequacy of nuclear deterrence as an effective response to such challenges.
“These concerns are even greater when we consider the catastrophic humanitarian and environmental consequences that would follow from any use of nuclear weapons, with devastating, indiscriminate and uncontainable effects, over time and space. Nor can we ignore the precariousness arising from the simple maintenance of these weapons: the risk of accidents, involuntary or otherwise, that could lead to very troubling scenarios.”
The message goes on to say that, “the use of nuclear weapons, as well as their mere possession, is immoral. Trying to defend and ensure stability and peace through a false sense of security and a ‘balance of terror’, sustained by a mentality of fear and mistrust inevitably ends up poisoning relationships between peoples and obstructing any possible form of real dialogue. Possession leads easily to threats of their use, becoming a sort of ‘blackmail’ that should be repugnant to the consciences of humanity.”
For Francis, people should ask: “how can we possibly envisage pushing the button to launch a nuclear bomb? How can we, in good conscience, be engaged in modernizing nuclear arsenals?
“Existing disarmament treaties are more than just legal obligations. They are also moral commitments based on trust among States and among their representatives, rooted in the trust that citizens place in their governments, with ethical consequences for current and future generations of humanity. Adherence to, and respect for, international disarmament agreements and international law is not a form of weakness. On the contrary, it is a source of strength and responsibility since it increases trust and stability.
The message ends with an encouragement to governments, international organisations and civil society groups to continue promoting a “culture of life and peace based upon the dignity of the human person and the awareness that we are all brothers and sisters.”
For her part, the Catholic Church will continue to promote peace by fostering peace education. “This is a duty to which the Church feels bound before God and every man and woman in our world.”
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